EPA to Volkswagen: Das Cheaters!

The company faces a potential $37,500 fine by the EPA for each Clean Air Act violation. That could lead to the automaker facing as much as $18 billion in federal penalties in total. To put that in comparison, General Motors just agreed to a $900 million federal penalty on Thursday after a Justice Department criminal investigation over its ignition-switch defect that led to at least 124 deaths, and Toyota agreed to a $1.2 billion penalty last year after several deaths were attributed to an acceleration defect.


FDA Pulls Four R.J. Reynolds Cigarette Brands from Market

The FDA cited various reasons for the violations in its press release. As an example, the agency cited that the filter on the Camel Crush Bold cigarettes contain a capsule that when crushed, releases additional menthol flavoring. The agency found that the feature creates a significant difference from products that existed prior to the law. The Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids president Matthew Myers praised the decision, believing that the Camel Crush cigarettes “deliver menthol differently and at higher levels, have added sugars and other sweeteners, new filters, and tested differently for harmful and potentially harmful constituents.” According to Myers, Camel is the most popular cigarette brand among young smokers.



AutoNation CEO: ‘Company will not Sell Recalled Vehicles’

In an industry that set a record for recalls in 2014, and with over 34.5 million vehicles recalled by the end of July, 2015, Jackson believes that dealers should take a more active role in protecting consumers. The CEO said, “If every time a vehicle, new or used, moves through the franchised automotive retail system, every recall is completed, then the completion rate on recalls in total, both how fast they get done and the percentage that get done, will increase significantly.”


Sincerely Nuts Recalls Macadamia Products due to Salmonella Scare

According to the FDA, Persons infected with the salmonella organism “often experience fever, diarrhea (which may be bloody), nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain” that in rare circumstances, “can result in the organism getting into the bloodstream and producing more severe illnesses such as arterial infections (i.e., infected aneurysms), endocarditis and arthritis.”


Takata Recall Total Lowered amid Widened Side-Airbag Probe

Original projections had estimated about 34 million airbags, with faulty inflators that could send shrapnel flying into the passenger cabin upon impact. The revised total estimates the number to be 23.4 million, with roughly 4 million of the airbags having already been replaced. The agency also estimates that 4 million of the affected vehicles have at least two of the recalled airbags, bringing the actual number of vehicles affected by the recall in the U.S. to around 19 million.


Fiat-Chrysler Unveils Incentive Program to Repair Defective Vehicles

The company announced that it is offering a $1,000 trade-in credit towards a new Fiat-Chrysler vehicle, or $2,000 towards the purchase of a Ram model pickup. For those who desire to keep their repaired vehicles, the company will offer a $100 prepaid credit card for completing the repair which consumers can spend as they wish.



Volkswagen Issues new Airbag-Related Recall

Although this latest recall adds to the list of airbag-related defects, it does not appear to be connected to the massive recall from Japanese airbag manufacturer Takata, which has affected 11 automakers and an estimated 50 million vehicles worldwide.